Remember
by tayryn
Summary: A Missing Moment from Season Five's "From Flushing With Love". The sadness on CC's face as she walks out of Maxwell's office tears my heart apart… and because of that, the muse insisted on this.


~CCN~

Bowing her head, CC left Maxwell's office.

She'd known this… thing… with Niles would not last. Had known that eventually, he and Nanny Fine would make up and that, once again, she'd be the outsider.

She'd known it would happen. She had. So why was it hurting so much?

'_Because you care more about him than you are willing to admit,'_ a little voice told her.

CC shook her head.

No. She did not care about Niles. No. No. No. No.

She didn't.

Did she?

CC stopped in the foyer as she fully entertained the thought.

Did she care… have feelings… for Niles? Niles!

Various memories from over the years came back to her… all the insults, the pranks, the kiss in the living room, dancing in Maxwell's living room, Niles' heart attack… the kiss…

CC licked her lips at that particular memory.

Even now, two years later, she could still feel his lips on hers. Could still taste him mixed with the brandy they'd had to drink as their tongues met in an intimate dance. Still feel the hard planes of his body all along hers as they pulled each other closer.

She groaned softly at the memory that had fueled more than one fantasy over the years since.

Suddenly a hand closed over her mouth and an arm wrapped around her middle, and CC felt herself being dragged from the living room into the guest washroom. Before she could utter a word, her back was against the wall and she found herself on the receiving end of a very amorous kiss.

A soft moan escaped her when she recognized Niles' taste immediately and his familiar scent enveloped her. She wrapped her arms around him, fisting her hands in his jacket and eagerly responded; the hunger of her kiss matching his.

She whimpered breathlessly when Niles pulled his mouth from hers and trailed his lips along her jaw.

"I want you to listen to me," his breath was hot against her ear. "Listen and remember what I tell you. No matter what else I may say or do outside of this room in the future, I want you to remember what I tell you right now."

CC nodded slowly, still a little stunned from the intensity of his kiss.

"This…" Niles pressed his body closer, moulding his frame to hers. "This is real…" his hand cupped her cheek. "This is the truth…" he kissed her again; a hard, almost desperate kiss. He grabbed her hand and placed it on his chest, his eyes boring into hers. "Everything else… that's just pretend."

CC's eyes grew wide as she felt his heart beat a frantic tattoo beneath her hand.

"Do you understand?"

CC slowly nodded. "But…"

He silenced her with another passionate kiss.

"It's not time yet… as much as I want it to be, it's just not time."

CC drew in a shaky breath. "Okay."

Niles smiled and stroked her lips with his thumb. "I want you to know something else… I enjoyed spending time with you this week. I had fun."

CC smiled, knowing he meant more than just the practical jokes they'd played on Nanny Fine. "So, did I…" she replied softly then nuzzled into the hand still cupping her cheek. "Niles…"

"CC…" Niles whispered her name as he pressed his fingers against her lips to stop her. He shook his head then leaned in and brushed his lips against hers. "Just remember what I told you. And remember…" his mouth covered hers.

Expecting another frantic kiss, CC was surprised at the gentle touch of Niles' lips against hers. The kiss was gentle, loving… almost reverent. With every heartbeat it grew deeper, his tongue slipping in to caress hers, and yet it remained nothing more than a gentle, loving kiss; the tenderness of which brought tears to CC's eyes.

The kiss slowly tapered off and Niles rested his forehead against hers, whispering her name with such longing, before he moved his mouth to her ear.

CC gasped and the tears that were pooled in her eyes spilled down her cheeks as he spoke quietly, whispering four little words that wrapped themselves around her heart; warming her far more than his delicious kisses had.

When he stepped away from her, CC found herself reaching out for him, missing the feel and the warmth of him. He caught her hands in his, and brought them to his lips, pressing a soft kiss to each palm before releasing her. Niles reached up and wiped the tears from her cheeks, gave her a small smile, and then without a word, he left the washroom.

CC slid down the wall until she was sitting on the floor. With a shaky hand, she reached up and locked the door then buried her face in her hands and cried.

~CCN~

There was a series of knocks on the door.

CC walked over and opened it to find a young man standing there.

"Ms Babcock?"

"Yes."

"I have a delivery for you, ma'am." The young man held out a good sized package which CC took from him.

"Hold on a moment, I'll get you a tip." She told him.

"Not necessary, ma'am. It's been taken care of," he smiled at her then gave her a tip of his hat. "Have a good evening."

"You too," CC replied as she absently closed the door, her attention focused on the box in her hands. She moved across the room and sat on the couch, placing the package on the coffee table.

She stared at it for several moments before finally reaching out for it. She quickly removed the outer brown wrapping then lifted the lid to find the box full of tissue paper. Moving that aside, she found two gaily wrapped packages. Her curiosity truly piqued, she reached for the larger of the two and ripped the paper off.

She blinked furiously at the tears that suddenly sprang to her eyes.

It was a simple blue ceramic tissue box.

With a tissue sticking up inside it… a tissue with a note written on it, "Wipe the tears from your eyes and open the other one."

CC laughed softly and pulled the Kleenex out.

She wiped her eyes then placed the tissue box beside her on the sofa and pulled the other package out of the box. There was a small tag on this one, and as she read the words written there, she reached beside her for several more pieces of Kleenex.

My chicken,

Remember.

Your swine

With shaky hands, she unwrapped the gift.

A soft sob escaped her as she looked down at the delicate picture frame in her hands, and more importantly, the picture in the frame.

It was her and Niles.

Taken at their pottery class the week they'd teamed up against Nanny Fine. She hadn't realized their picture was being taken, but had to admit, it was a rather nice one of them both. They were leaning in towards each other, their heads together, laughing at some joke that Niles had told.

She closed her eyes against the onslaught of tears.

She missed him.

Missed the Niles she'd gotten to spend time with that week.

She especially missed the Niles that had kissed her senseless in the guest washroom at Maxwell's. The one that had whispered his feelings in her ear, and had beseeched her to have patience, that everything would work out.

When he'd left her alone in the washroom that day a month ago, she'd cried until she couldn't anymore then had climbed to her feet and looked at herself in the mirror. It was then, that she'd truly realized that she DID care about Niles, and had for some time. She'd also realized that she very much wanted what he was promising her.

With a firm nod, she'd quickly washed her face and left the washroom and returned to work.

She and Niles had crossed paths several times that day, and as if their time in the washroom hadn't happened, they'd returned to hurling insults at each other. Though, CC had noticed that the insults were no longer cruel… and that his eyes sparkled with amusement and affection when he said them to her.

CC sat back on the couch, clutching the frame to her chest, and whispered his name to her empty penthouse.

She did remember. She couldn't forget.

CC just wished that it was time.


End file.
